Low flying cost cutting

Well, well, well. This news adds a new connotation to the term "fuel surcharge". The in your face face of Irish capitalism in the news again.
Flying Low? 

The Asian Century

Already sounds like a cliche. But it appears that the Atlantic Era is fading out...Europe..to paraphrase an earlier adage..is now the sick man of...errrr Europe?! The dominance of the West is increasingly fraught and tenuous in all arenas. The US may retain influence and power because of its unique geographical situation stradling the two great world oceans. The North Atlantic hegemony is receding like an ageing Lothario's hairline. With an increasingly uncertain and demilitarizing Western Europe crippled by self-doubt and inflexible sclerotic economies, America is increasingly looking to the Pacific and to the growing confident China. The only issue is can the debt strapped US itself- seemingly more uncertain than in the past; can the US maintain a prime role in world affairs? Or will it fade to a kind of status akin to Everton in the English Premier League: Mid Table Mediocrity (MTM). Memories of the great triumphs of the past...faded photos of past glories...a sense of entitlement which is progressively more underpinned by nostalgia than by real power.
China and India continue to grow economically. What is more critical is the growth in confidence and ambition these two developing giants manifest. Their GDPs are matched by their self confidence indexes.
The moralizing tone of the West is sounding even more infuriatingly self-serving and hypocritical thanks to the outrageous cynicism of neo-con policies and invasions, prison abuse, rendition, Gitmo..etc etc..The shadow of racism and social tensions seem set to knock the European social model off track. Cultural conflict and contests seem set to further unravel the cohesion of many countries. Witness the recent minaret "debate" in Switzerland. Of course, other nations face challenges not least those of the degrading natural environment, lack of resources and various social stresses. However, it the West's loss of confidence, certainty and leadership in the moral, economic and political fields that is the critical variable reinforcing the shift to Asia.

Hindsight

In December 1998 I wrote this comment as a response to a debate on the "fall of communism". It makes splendid reading now following the "fall of capitalism".

The ideology of historicist Marxist science fiction has now been superceeded by the historicist triumphialism of liberal capitalism as represented by the thought and work of thinkers like Francis Fukuyama. The increasingly strident and self righteous tone of the ideology of free markets and economic globalisation is as disturbing as the threat represented by any other doctrinaire world domination type of ideology such as communism, socialism, national socialism etc. People need to resist and question the assumptions being foisted on them now of the triumph and moral certitude of unbridled free marketism and the causal linkage being posited between political and intellectual freedom, and capitalism.

Irish President Visits UAE

Recently the President of Ireland visited the United Arab Emirates. The Irish community of the UAE were invited to a reception at the lavish Emirates Palace Hotel in the national capital Abu Dhabi. The reception boasted good food and free flowing beverages. A group of UAE based Irish musicians entertained the gathered Gaels. Unlike Irish public houses, the reception room at the hotel allowed guests to smoke and provided high quality ashtrays. The atmosphere was excellent with that amazing Irish capacity to combine formality with an air of relaxed cordiality and familiarity that I term "Celtic protocol". The President delivered an impressive "Celtic protocol" speech. The gathering was delighted to hear of the plans to open an Irish embassy in Abu Dhabi. In these increasingly difficult times I felt the event had an air of a rapidly fading former reality. The affluent and optimistic feel of the reception- with the Irish ex-pat community celebrating a close relationship between two small economically dynamic nations seems archaic and nostalgic already. Even as we all stood there listening to the speech, the cold winds of the quickly unravelling world economic and financial system could be felt blowing round our well heeled feet!

Toxic Bank?

The current liquidity crisis and increasingly perilous state of the banking industry begs the question...what next?
Some are calling for a 'toxic bank' solution. A 'toxic bank' is an institution where bad debts from other banks would be pooled and managed.
I hate to say "I told you so"
...http://dondealga.blogspot.com/2006/01/strategia.html in which I presented the Malaysian Danaharta/Danamodal experience for buying up bad loans and helping get the banks working again.

Don't know if the spetic tank bank concept is workable given the enormous scale of the debt problems afflicting the financial institutions, however what is apparent is that there needs to be urgent action taken. The concept of the toxic bank taking on bad debts freeing up banks from crippling liabilities and NPLs allowing them to move forward implies a shift of the debt burden to the tax-payers. It is touted as a solution based on experience from Sweden in the 1990s. The other key plank on which a toxic bank solution is premised is that the regular banks must write down their bad assets. A toxic bank will itself become "toxic" if it buys bank debts at inflated prices.

Flying....low!!!

Today we heard news of the heroic airline pilot who averted major disaster with his skill and cool handling of a striken aircraft. He reflects great credit on his profession and his business.
Unfortunately much of the airling industry reflects not much more than shoddiness and incompetence. From the boorishness of Ryanair's Michael O'Leary to the insensitivity of US airport security staff airline passengers experience ever lower standards of "service" and the industry continues its descent to bus station standards. Here is a sad tale of incompetence and disdain towards passengers as manifested in the attitude of the cabin crew of an international airline once known for its excellence.
http://rads-lifeanditsblows.blogspot.com/

Goodbye Stan...

A Euro campaign review presents a very sobering statistic...the Irish national soccer team took 1 point from a possible 6 from......Cyprus! Ireland still boast a team selection made up of mostly English Premier League players. Cyprus have mostly players selected from the Cypriot league...roughly on a par with the Irish domestic league (Eircom League), which is organized on what used to be known as a "semi-pro" basis. So Irish national coach Steve "Stan" Staunton will pay the ultimate price. What's more concerning is the scuttling sound emerging from the corridors of power at the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) as officials run for cover and try to avoid that awful thing...responsibility. Stan's appointment was contentious from the start as many outside the FAI criticized his lack of any meaningful coaching experience. Among many Irish football fans there is a popular contempt for the FAI and its perceived failings. There is a strong sense of disappointment now among the Irish football public as the past 5 years have been rather barren and the national team's decline has become apparent. Goodbye Stan. You will be forever associated with failure now, and with that spectacular shock when Cyprus put 5 goals past Ireland. Your huge contribution to Ireland as player and team captain are now eclipsed by your naivety and inexperience as a coach.

In Rainbow - Blue Nile?

This is not a re(bel song)-view!!
I have been a Radiohead head for zonks. Those awful traffic choked drives home through Kuala Lumpur from the night job during '97-'98 my sanity saved by 'OK Computer'. I wore out 2 cassettes of said work in my car stereo. I paid 5 pounds for my download of 'In Rainbow'. I put it on a CD and listened to it as I drove through the awful traffic choked roads of Dubai. It takes me time to savour and arrive at somewhere with works of art - be they music, literature, whatever...
With many of the tracks on 'In Rainbow' I can only say I must have lived too long...all I can hear is 'Blue Nile' - remember them? I think they release a collection every 25 years! Anyway, I think Thom has been listening to a lot of Blue Nile. Just as we did all those years ago...on the real Blue Nile: Rufaah, Wad Medani, Singa and Sennar...
Blue Nile River
Blue Nile - the band

Croking on the foreign games..

The recent "opening" of the great Irish national stadium of Croke Park to "foreign games" was given its most stirring manifestation by the emotional rendetion of the Irish rugby team's two national songs. This was all the more powerful following the respectful reception given by the Irish crowd to "God Save the Queen". The most potent and delicious blow for Irish national self respect and pride was then delivered by the national rugby team andthe only explosions heard were of joyful Irish throats celebrating a glorious victory over their great sporting rivals.
Soon, we will witness another great departure, as Croker welcomes the soccer players of Ireland. The Irish national soccer team may not match the performance or success of their rugby colleagues, but their matches at HQ are just as significant.
In the light of this great opening of the Irish identity definition, where nationalism in sport is no longer bitter and exclusive; it with great joy that I witnessed the ultimate "Garrison game" knocking old prejudice (literally) for six as the Irish cricket team humbled one of the elite of the world game, Pakistan with a sterling, fighting, proud display. It was perhaps, one of the greatest achievements of any Irish international sporting team. It is great to see Irish sport jettisoning the old tired rhetoric. It is wonderful that our spectacular passionate native games, can now co-exist with sports who despite their origins, are no less capable of instilling pride in Irish breasts.
See the cricket magic HERE

Border Bard

Dundalk has never enjoyed the popular national cultural cache that some other Irish towns did. Even souless dormitory An Uaimh had its "Navan Man" period. Now one man threatens to propel the Town into the nation's contemporary artistic consciousness. Jinx Lennon - the putative (stylistic) spawn of Bob Dylan and Eminem according to one critic. Visit his site and listen to some of the songs available there. Not immediately registering on the sweet melody scale, there is "a terrible beauty" about Jinx's work and a dissonance based charm about his work. His lyrics delivered in that unflinchingly proud North Louth accent are a delicious if not immediately obvious pleasure...kind of like the taste of poiteen or hot chilli paste.

Dundalk Heartbreak - Fully Audited.

The Town consigned to the dubious delights of the first division for another season. It seems that the decision was not made by the usual football criteria - ie final position in the table, or performance in the play-offs. Rather, in a sign of the globalized managerialist consultanist times in which we live, it was some sort of TQM type "audit" which deemed Dundalk unfit for the new elite of Irish domestic soccer. Benchmarking and the ISO finally reach what we quaintly used to refer to as LOI in my youth. Hopefully, Dundalk can recover their poise and determination for next season. The club's run in after a disastrous start to the season just completed was remarkable. If Gill can remain at the helm and the squad can be kept intact, things look good for the next campaign.

Hands Up Stan - future of Irish National soccer team

Stevie was a great defender in his day and he chose the best form of defence (run away) when confronted with a gun totting "well wisher". Another example of the dangers posed by mobile phones - Stan had just popped out of the hotel to take a call when he met Mr Uzi. The gunman threatened to kill the Irish manager. If the radiation out of them phones doesn't fry your brains the rogue gunman will blow them out. Apparently the gunman was carrying an imitation firearm according to the Gardai. The man has now apologised to Staunton. Ireland's team for the friendly match with Holland has been ravaged by withdrawals of top players. More long term, Staunton and the FAI face major strategic challenges. One of the key difficulties is the dearth of quality (English Premiership quality) Irish players. This trend looks like continuing as top flight English clubs continue to buy in "ready to use" players from other professional leagues rather than develop Irish (and other) youngsters through youth schemes. I fear the decline of the Rep of Ireland national team over the next 5 years into a N.Ireland style situation - declining quality, poor results, increasing perponderance of lower league professionals and a tumble down the FIFA rankings. The bleak outlook means little chance of qualifiation for major tournaments.

Clashing Proxies

Back in the good old days of bi-polar superpowerdom the USSR and the USA engaged in a series of “proxy wars” around the globe. Sometimes these conflicts pitted countries against each other or were “internal” affairs within one nation. Sometimes the Superpowers got directly involved usually to their cost (USA in Vietnam, USSR in Afghanistan). Often though, the great powers provided diplomatic, financial and logistical support without direct military intervention. Most of the proxy wars were fought in the two-thirds world. Countries could even switch allegiances. Ethiopia went from the US camp (under Haile Salaisse) to the USSR orbit (under Menghistu). Egypt went from being a staunch Soviet ally (Nasser) to being a firm friend of the USA (under Sadat). The ideological clash between the USSR and the USA led to strange bedfellows. Extreme Islamic militants in Afghanistan were dependent of massive US military aid in their struggle to oust the Soviets from their country.

Now in the Middle East we are alledgedly witnessing the proxy war between two competing ideologies. The conflict between Israel and Hizb’allah is already portrayed in the rhetoric of both sides as a clash of two competing world views. Israel is portraying itself as a front line state in the “War on Terror” defending the values of freedom, human rights and secularism against the threat of “Islamofacism”. Hizb’allah and many in the Muslim world see the conflict as yet another example of the hegemonic strategy of the West to ensure its continuing domination of the region through its proxy – Israel. Other armed conflicts fuelled by the emerging ideological clash argument include those in Iraq and Afghanistan. The West’s running dispute with Iran over nuclear issues is another manifestation of the struggle. Just as in the 1950’s there was the identification of “Reds under the beds” in many Western countries and their proxies with oppressive measures of varying degrees used against such dissent; we now have the fifth column of “home-grown” Islamicist extremism in many Western countries with the use of various means to deal with this phenomenon. Some of the West’s most cherished liberties are even viewed as contingent in the “fight against terrorism”.

The trend now looks set for continued conflict. The “Clash of Civilisations” prophesised by Huntington looks set to be fulfilled. Fulfilled in what sense though? Is Huntington’s theory a self-fufilling prophecy adopted by various interests to bolster their own ambitions and politics? For instance, the Israeli propagandists’ representation of the military action in Lebanon as part of a great noble struggle against the forces of evil attempts to mask the sordid and brutal real politik nature of the aggression.

The questions confronting everyone now are: how do we prevent ourselves becoming “proxies” in the ideological conflict now being constructed by the forces of extremism both East and West? How do we resist the “Clash of Ignorance”? How can we best proclaim and celebrate the interdependency and interaction of civilisations and cultures?

Read the original paper by Huntington.

A response to the Huntington thesis.

Bobby Sands Street - A Solution

A quarter century ago Bobbie Sands was the first of the IRA hunger strikers to fast to death. IRA hunger strikers at the Long Kesh jail outside Belfast protested the lack of political status afforded paramilitary prisioners in the north of Ireland. The figure of Bobbie Sands attained international recognition with his widely circulated image projecting an attractive and cordial persona - not at all the picture of a "hardened terrorist". Sands' legacy lived on and even jumped up and bit Jack Straw's political posterior not so long ago. Jack attempted to "pressure" the Iranian government into changing the name of "Bobby Sands Street" in Tehran. Seems this is the street the British Embassy is situated on. How the British government must hanker now for such low impact diplomatic issues in Ango-Iranian relations! Perhaps the Iranian government should offer to rename the street in return for Britain agreeing to supply Iran with nuclear technology? Or perhaps the British authorities could offer to rename Hyde Park as "Khomeni Park" in return for Iran giving up nuclear ambitions?

Grave Graven Images

Even within Christianity there is a strong current which rejects the representation of religious figures. However there is a much more 'visible' tradition of iconography and portrayal of figures such as Jesus and various other prophets, the Virgin Mary, various saints , and of course angels. Some of this is devotional, other elements belong to a more secular artistic tradition. As a child I grew up with many icons then commonly found in traditional Irish Catholic homes. I wonder do many Christian Europeans view the current debate over the Danish Mohammed caricatures from within the cultural framework of their religious traditions? Shouldn't those from the more austere and iconclastic Protestant background empathise more with the Islamic position on representation of revered religious figures?
The dispute over 'idolatry' and the worship of symbols and images is not just an intercultural matter. Within Islam itself there are conflicts over the reverence shown to certain symbols, tombs, shrines, memories of pious figures etc.... The tomb of the Prophet Mohammed himself was obliterated several hundred years ago by purist zealots anxious to prevent it becoming a place of devotion.
It is intstructive to watch the reaction within the Islamic world to the 'cartoon controversy'. Widespread public demonstrations and protests are taking place even in countries where such peaceful public reaction to domestic concerns with never be tolerated.
I find the political manipulation of such issues and the 'digging in' by entrenched positions on both sides of great concern. As a believer in intercultural dialogue and understanding I despair at the ease with which people are accepting the 'self fufilling prophecy' of theories like Huntington's Civilisational Clash. Such deterministic world views are to be resisted, not passively embraced as some kind of ireversible dynamic of history. Issues should be opportunties for interaction and discussion fostering more communication and insight; instead they become clarion calls to arms (sometimes literally so).

The Curse of Coleman

Just to show you the kind of competition Stevie is up against (source Wikipedia):

Colemanballs is a term used to describe a variety of types of gaffes perpetrated by media commentators.

The name was coined by Private Eye magazine and is derived from that of the BBC sports commentator, David Coleman. An example of the great man's work in this field is the classic "And here's Moses Kiptanui—the 19 year old Kenyan, who turned 20 a few weeks ago." He also once remarked "Don't tell those coming in the result of that fantastic match, but let's have another look at Italy's winning goal..."

And here's a gem from this week's selection:

"... all of this left the referee costing us more than what we should have got."

SAM ALLARDYCE

Radio 5 Live

source http://www.private-eye.co.uk/index.php?

Stan the (Dundalk) Man

The Dynamic Duo...Steve and Sir Bobby. Steve has already given an inkling of his potential in the Colemanballs stakes: "we won't play a passing game for the sake of a passing game's sake".
Good on you Stan..cum awn de tawin.

Strategia 02

Iran Situation Update

Isn't it ironic....Iranian born Israeli defence minister warns Iran over its nuclear 'research' work hinting at Israeli willingness to undertake military action to ensure Israel remains Middle East's only Nuclear Club member.

General Shaikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Supreme Commander of Armed Forces of UAE expressed concern while visiting France: "Any nuclear programme will pose a threat to the Gulf region".

NPLs - Non Performing Loans

Dr Mahathir Mohammed former Prime Minister of Malaysia often liked to label George Soros as the man who caused the great Asian economic meltdown of 1997 with his currency speculation. Debating Papa Doc's Weltanschauung theories is like trying to argue with your deaf grandmother. What Doc didn't mention, but what his policies for getting Malaysia out of the mess of '97 included, was the need for firm action on dealing with NPLs. The NPL millstone was what almost destroyed Malaysia - NPLs don't really seem to matter too much when the bull is snorting and bubble and boom are the order of the day. When things slow however, NPLs are very bad news for banks. Through the Danaharta company, the Malaysian government took decisive and ultimately effective action to deal with the NPL problem and rehabilitate Malaysia's financial sector.

UAE's banking sector has become increasingly concerned about NPLs and more prudent as a result. The next step is a comprehensive national credit bureau/agency system insh'allah. With this kind of pre-emptive action the NPL variable need not drag the economy down.

Strategia

Looking ahead...one person's view of developments in the region, in particular the growing tension over Iran's nuclear programme. It doesn't make for comfortable reading. You may also want to question the writer's political agenda. The article was used as the basis for a piece in last Friday's Khaleej Times weekly magazine.
US Action Against Iran?

2005 - Dubai's economy
My synopsis -

The 'upside'
property boom
increased oil revenues
strong liquidity
bull market

The 'downside'
increasing cost of living
higher corporate costs
more NPLs (non-performing loans)
reduced competitiveness

For the meat....check the National Bank of Dubai's "UAE Focus".




Iran Situation Update

Isn't it ironic....Iranian born Israeli defence minister warns Iran over its nuclear 'research' work hinting at Israeli willingness to undertake military action to ensure Israel remains Middle East's only Nuclear Club member.

General Shaikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Supreme Commander of Armed Forces of UAE expressed concern while visiting France: "Any nuclear programme will pose a threat to the Gulf region".

NPLs - Non Performing Loans

Dr Mahathir Mohammed former Prime Minister of Malaysia often liked to label George Soros as the man who caused the great Asian economic meltdown of 1997 with his currency speculation. Debating Papa Doc's Weltanschauung theories is like trying to argue with your deaf grandmother. What Doc didn't mention, but what his policies for getting Malaysia out of the mess of '97 included, was the need for firm action on dealing with NPLs. The NPL millstone was what almost destroyed Malaysia - NPLs don't really seem to matter too much when the bull is snorting and bubble and boom are the order of the day. When things slow however, NPLs are very bad news for banks. Through the Danaharta company, the Malaysian government took decisive and ultimately effective action to deal with the NPL problem and rehabilitate Malaysia's financial sector.

UAE's banking sector has become increasingly concerned about NPLs and more prudent as a result. The next step is a comprehensive national credit bureau/agency system insh'allah. With this kind of pre-emptive action the NPL variable need not drag the economy down.